A METHOD FOR DETERMINING A CRITICAL SIZE FOR AN ALUMINUM OXIDE INCLUSION IN AN ALUMINUM OR AN ALUMINUM ALLOY SPUTTER TARGET

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for determining the critical size to the diameter of the Al ₂ O ₃ inclusions 38 in the Al or Al alloy sputtering target 42 to prevent arcing during sputtering. The method includes providing a sputtering apparatus having an argon plasma. Plasma, has a plasma sheath of a known thickness during sputtering, the Al or Al alloy sputtering target having a sputtering surface free of Al ₂ O ₃ containing water under a selected sputtering environment. When the thickness of the sheath is known for a selected sputtering environment, the critical size for the Al ₂ O ₃ inclusions 38 may be determined based on the thickness of the sheath. More specifically, Al ₂ O ₃ the diameter of the inclusions 38 in the Al or Al alloy sputtering target 42, must be less than the thickness of the plasma sheath during sputtering under it said selected sputtering environment in order to prevent arcing. ; Sputtering, plasma sheath, arcing